November 2012: College Suisse was heavily damaged by Goudou but reopened in tents shortly after, The former building has been rebuilt enough to accomodate a school for smaller kids on the first level only. The main school is operating out of temporary quarters. Our communication with them is not good so I am not certain what the situation is with them.

Jacmel is a picturesque town on the south coast of Haiti. In 1975 there were more than 30 primary schools here but only 3 secondary schools. This meant that hundreds of children whose parents did not have the financial resources to send them to school in Port-au-Prince were forced to terminate their educations. College Suisse was opened in October 1976 to help remedy this problem. The school was founded with donations from a group that included Haitians, Swiss and Americans who believed that education was the most hopeful solution to Haiti's misery.

In the first year, there were 7 teachers and 105 Students. 34 years later, the school has survived the political and economic upheavals that have plagued Haiti and has grown and prospered. In 2009 there are more than 35 teachers for 900 students, including a free primary school for indigent children, who are taught by College Suisse students each afternoon when the College is not in session, and an evening school for adults that features vocational training as well as reading, writing and arithmetic.

College Suisse has maintained a high level of academic excellence, ranking always in the top 10 percent of Haiti's educational institutions. Each year, the top three students in each class are awarded scholarships for the next semester. The philosophy of the school is that since all of the students are more or less poor, advancement and rewards, such as scholarships, are predicated on hard work and measurable results, not economic situation.

Gottfried Krauschi is the primary founder, Administrator and life blood of College Suisse. In Switzerland he was an executive of a multinational chemical company, a captain in the Swiss army and the author of 2 books on chess. Weary of the rat race, he took a sabbatical in 1973 to travel around the world . He settled in Jacmel later that year. He and his wife, Yolette, a Haitian, have four children, and live two blocks from the school, in a humble but joyful fashion, without a car, a refrigerator or a flush toilet that works

The chronic problem for College Suisse is lack of funds. Because of the declining economy in Haiti, more and more parents find it difficult to pay the tuition on time, so supplementary funds are needed to pay the teachers. Another problem is that the school is overcrowded

.College Suisse is on particulary hard times in the Summer of 2009: Jacmel was hit by four hurricanes in a row in 2008, the infamous Quadricane. If you would like to donate something to this venerable institution, the best way to send money is to call Western Union at 1-800-225-5227 and tell them you want to send $100, or whatever amount you wish, to Gottfried Krauchi in Haiti. Then send Gottfried, or as he is known in Jacmel, Geoffrois, an email. letting him know that you have sent it.

Any gift at all, even $25, will be put to gooduse and deeply appreciated

In an effort to raise the money to fund the expansion of College Suisse, several generous people have donated paintings, the proceeds from which will be donated to the building fund. To see the paintings,click here.

Below are links to two more worthy projects that are benefitting children